Electric-arc lamp



(No Model) 4 H. SAWYER.

ELECTRIC ARC LAMP. No. 469,093. Patented Feb. 16, 1892.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. Y 1

HOUGHTON SAWVYER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ELE CTRlC-ARC LAM'P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,093, dated February 16, 1892.

Application filed February 24, 1891.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HOUGHTON SA YER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of lalifornia, have invented an Improvement in Electric-Arc Lamps; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to the class of lamps known as electric-arc lamps; and it consists, essentially, in a lamp containing a maga zine for holding the upper and lower carbons, which carbons, by suitable means, may be thrown successively and respectively into a pair of carbon-holders, as required. It also consists inthe novel construction and arrangement of the magazine, the carbonholders which receive the carbons from the magazine, and the, devices for releasing the burned carbons and introducing and holding a fresh pair of carbons, as will be hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide What may be termed a magazine are lamp, automatic inits action and capable of carrying a number of carbons and supplying them successively to a pair of holders, whereby a light may be had for an indefinite period of time Without having to replenish the carbons by personal attention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of myinven-' tion, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my lamp. Fig. 2 is a top view of the magazine. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the cutting-out magnet.

A is the frame of the lamp, having at is lower portion a receptacle a for the burned carbons. The upper portion of the frame of the lamp carries a magazine B, consisting of a casing having within it a groove or channel b, in which are placed a number of carbons 0 side by side and vertically arranged. A spring I) in one end of the groove or channel acts against the series of carbons and tends to continually press the foremost carbon out to the open or discharge end of the groove. Instead of by a spring,'the series ofcarbons may be fed forward by gravity. The foremost carbon is, however, held in position until properly released by a small lip or flange b at the upper end of the open Serial No. 382,670. (No model.)

end of the groove and by the body of the upper-carbon holder at its lower end, as will be presently described. The grooves shown at c in the upper ends of alternate carbons are for the purpose of receiving the locking devices, by which said carbons are held in the upper holder.

D is the upper-carbon holder consisting of a hollow bar or tube. The upper end of this carbon-holder is cut away at d to form a halfround portion open atthe side, through which the carbons find an entrance. The carbonholder extends up into the magazine and is in connection with the open end of the groove or channel I) in said magazine. The full-round body of the holder serves to keep the foremost carbon back.

The carbon-holder D has a rack d on its side, with which a pinion e or other device engages, said pinion being operated by an electric motor E, which first raises the carbonholder to its highest limit and then gradually feeds it down to keep the are established, as in ordinary cases. In the lower end of the carbon D is a locking-lever d pivoted at d and having its upper end guided by a slot and pin (1 A rod (1 is connected with this locking-lever and extends upwardly to and is connected with a lug d, adapted to slide slightly upon the upper portion of the carbonholder. This locking-lever fits into thegroovc c at the upper end of theupper or positive carbon and holds it in the holder.

F is the tubular or hollow lower-carbon holder adapted to receive the lower or negative carbon. The lower carbon is supported in this carbon-holder by means of a sliding bottom f, adapted to traverse its lower portion. This bottom is connected with the core 9 of a solenoid G, and when said solenoid is energized, whereby it draws inwardly its core, the bottom f is removed from under the carbon-holder F and the contained carbon is allowed to drop through into the waste-receptacle at below. A spring g serves to force the core g out again.

H is a solenoid above, having a core h, which is thrown in the path of the lug d heretofore described, just before said lug reaches it.

I is a pivoted lever, one end of which lies in the path of a lug d on the upper-carbon holder.

J is the main circuit from the positive terminal.

J is the primary circuit around the motoriield and through the carbons.

J is a path of proper resistance through the armature of the motor and through the carbons.

K is a second circuit, which is broken at points 7.: 70, against which one end of the lever I is adapted to operate. It is again broken at the points 7c, and is closed at these points by means of a pivoted lever 71., operated by the core of the solenoid H. This core is temporarily held back to break the circuit at 70 7c, and allowed to close it when proper by the fall of the upper-carbon holder, with which said core is connected bya curved cam 7L2 and an arm 71.

This second circuit includes the lower solenoid G, and has acontaet at 70 against which a switch-lever 70 is adapted to come in contact, said lever being pivoted to the lower-carbon holder and acted on by a spring H, which normally tends to throw it over into contact with the point Z of a third circuit L, which said third circuit includes the upper solenoid H.

m is a shunt-cireuit between terminals, the current of which passes about the motor-field in the opposite direction to the primary circuit J and about the core of the cutting-out magnet. I

M in Figs. 1 and 3 is the cutting-out magnet having armature P. This magnet has two separate coils wound around a stationary core m. The coil m next to the core consists of a large conductor of low resistance and of few turns in shunt between terminals and broken at points m m and m m Surrounding this and wound in the same direction is a small conductor m of high resistance and .many convolutions, also in shunt between terminals containing in its circuit the coil of line wire in the motor-field. The points m m are operated on by a lever m, which lies in the path of a movable cam m pivoted at m on the carbon-holder D.

The operation of the lampis as follows: Then the carbons already in the carbonholders have been consumed sufficiently, arm h comes in contact with cam 7L2 and the core 72 is drawn in against the action of the solenoid and the circuit closed at points 70 7c. Following this the lug d on the upper-carbon holder D comes in contact with the pivoted lever I, thereby causing its other end to come in contact with points 75 k and close the second circuit K. The current of this circuit, passing around solenoid G, causes its core 9 to be drawn farther within its coil, and this core moves the bottom plate f of the lowercarbon holderfrom under said holder, thereby letting the lower carbon fall into the burnedcarbon receptacle at below. As the circuit through the carbons is now broken, there is a rush of current in shunt between terminals and around the short-cireuiting magnet M,

The object of this will be, presently described.

causing the armature P to be drawn toward the core 112, making the contact-points m m to meet and complete the circuit, thus shortcireuiting the lamp. The lamp is short-circuited at each change of carbons. As the circuit through the carbons is not broken, the motor which is a part of this circuit loses its lifting-power. Thereupon the upper-carbon holder and carbon by reason of their weight move toward the lower-carbon holder, the upper-carbon holder entering it a short distance. This carbon is thereupon released by the lug d coming in contact with the core h of the upper solenoid, and said lug being thereupon arrested. \Vhile the carbon-holder D moves farther down, the lock: ing-levcr d is pulled upon by the rod (1" of the. .lug, thereby releasing the upper carbon and allowing it to drop down through the lower-carbon holder into the waste-receptacle below. This downward movement of the upper-carbon holder is not, however, sufficient at this time to allow its half-round and open upper end (Z to get below the foremost one of the series of carbons, so that the carbons are still held in place by the full round body of the holder. The refuse of the upper carbon sliding through the lower-carbon holder follows so quickly after the release of the lower carbon that the switch-lever 7& is kept forced over against the contact 70 of the second circuit K, thus keeping it closed, the result of which is that the sliding bottomfof the lowercarbon holder is kept by the solenoid G to one side and said holder is kept open. After the two burned carbons have fallen into the receptacle there is nothing to hold the switchlever k in contact with point 70 and thereupon the spring 70 throws it over into contact with the point Z, thus opening the second circuit K. As a result, no current passes around solenoid G and the spring g within said solenoid causes the core to be projected and to force the sliding bottom funder the lower-carbon holder. As the switch-lever k is now in contact with the point Z, the third circuit L is closed, and the current passing around the upper solenoid I-l causes its core h to be withdrawn into it, which frees the lug d and allows the upper-carbon holder D to move farther down and to bring its halfrou-nd portion (Z into connection with the foremost of the series of carbons O in the magazine above. At the same time this movement of the core of solenoid II breaks the circuit K at the points k k. As the carbon-holder is now at its lowest position, (1 rests upon an immovable block h and is kept raised an amount sufficient to keep lock cl open, making a clean channel in the upper carbon holder for the reception of the fresh carbons from the magazine. The foremost carbon C, which is a negative carbon, now falls from the magazine into the half-round portion of the upper holder D, and sliding down through said holder enters the lowercarbon holder and is supported and locked therein. A second carbon-this time a positive one-falls immediately, but is a moment later in descending, during which time the motor is receiving a rush of current, due to the low resistance of the circuit through the carbons, and raises the upper holder an amount sufficient to prevent the falling of another carbon from the magazine into the half-round upper end at of the upper-carbon holder. The motor continues raising the carbon-holder until the groove 0 in the carbon reaches the lock, when the locking-lever falls into it. The carbons are then pulled apart and the arc established. In the downward motion of the carbon-holder the movable cam m pivoted at m, comes in contact with lever m and is pressed in against the carbonholder without effecting the position of the le- In this position cam m continues in its downward course with the carbon-holder until it no longer-impinges against the arm of the lever m when it falls from the upright position into its normal one. As the holder moves upward, the lever m lies in the path of cam m and is carried with it until turned an amount sufficient to allow the free passage of said cam when lever m turns back into its normal condition, again completing the circuit at m m This accomplishes themomentary break in the circuit at m m During the "rise of the carbon-holder D a movable arm 71?, pivoted at h, comes in contact with cam b on the carbon-holder and is lifted and turned until out of the line of action of said cam, when it drops again into its horizontal position against pin h". The core h is unaffected by this operation, the operation of the solenoidal core h being accomplished by the downward motion only of the cam k against the arm h The circuit through the carbons being broken during the change of carbons, the lamp is cut out-that is, the main current is allowed to pass through a path N of low resistance around the carbons. Then the fresh carbons from the magazine are thrown in, the resistance of the circuit through them is such as to allow a current to pass whose strength is suficient to cause the motor to raise the carbon-holder, making cam m come in contact withlever m and break the short circuit. If the lamp gets out of or der, the. short circuit acts as in ordinary lamps-that is, to cut out the defective lamp without affectin g others supplied by the same' current.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric-arc lamp, a magazine for containing upper and lower carbons, a pair of carbon-holders, and means for feeding the carbons from said magazine into said pair of carbon-holders respectively and successively as required, substantially as herein described.

2. In an electric-arc lamp, a magazine for containing upper and lower carbons, a pair of carbon-holders, and electrically-operated mechanisms for feeding the carbons from said magazine to said holders respectively and successively as required, substantially as herein described. V

In an electric-arc lamp, a magazine for containing upper and lower carbons, a pair of hollow or tubular carbon-holders, and automatic means for feeding the carbons from said magazine into said holders respectively and successively as required, substantially as herein described.

4. In an electric-arc lamp, the combination of a magazine containing a series of upper and lower carbons, a pair of tubular or hollow carbon-holders, and automatic mechanisms for feeding the carbons from said magazine respectively and successively into the carbon-holders and locking and releasing them, substantially as herein described.

5. In an electric-arc lamp, the combination of a magazine containing a series of upper and lower carbons, a pair of hollow or tubular holders, and means-for feeding the carbons respectively and successively from the magazine into the holders, consisting of an electric motor, electric circuits, locking and releasing devices, and intermediate electrically-operated devices for operating the holders and the locking and releasing devices, substantially as herein described.

0. In an electric-arc lamp, the combination of the magazine having the groove or channel in which the series of upper and lower carbons are located and from which they are fed successively, and the tubular movable carbon-holder having an entrance at its upper end adapted to receive the carbons respectively and successively as it is brought down into-communication with their lower ends,

substantially as herein described. 7. In an electric-arc lamp, the combination of the magazine having the groove or channel in which the carbons are located and from which they are fed successively, and the vertically-movable tubular carbon-holder having a half-round portion at its upper end with an open side adapted to be brought into communication when lowered with the lower end of the carbons successively, whereby they enter said holder, substantially as herein described.

8. In an electric-arc lamp, the hollow or tubular carbon-holder having the sliding bottomf, in combination with the solenoid and its core connected with the sliding bottom, and an electric circuit, including the solenoid, substantially as herein described.

9. In an electric-arc lamp, the combination of the magazine carrying the series of carbons, the vertically-mo\-able tubular uppercarbon holder adapted to receive said carbons 7 successively, the tubular lower-carbon holder having a sliding bottom, and the means for trolling one of said points, the lever controlling the other, and the cam m on the movable carbon-holder for operating said lever, substantially as herein described. 15

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

IIOUGI-ITON SAIV YER. I

lVitnesses: I

R0131". A. MoRRIssEY, CHAS. HENDERSON. 

